Betsy Jo Photography Blog

Such a sweet, placid little girl– so quiet and soft, new and beautiful. I love newborn sessions. It seems a bit silly to think that I can enjoy a job so thoroughly…

Meet sweet little Morgan- a tiny dark-haired girl with a bit of Irish in her. Yes, I am partial to Irish surnames. And though I won’t share it here, suffice it to say she has a Gaelic last name that sounds lovely with her first. (A girl after my own heart.)

See? She’s pretty happy about it. I was rather pleased to catch a teeny little grin:

While I rarely am able pick out a true favorite from each session, this is definitely mine from Morgan’s. There is something about an infant yawn that does a mother’s heart good:

Daddy came home to get in on the session. ‘So glad he did, because I got to sneak this next image in when Morgan’s parents were trying to get her changed. There’s something about a parent’s hands holding their firstborn that makes a heart happy.

Kelly, Ken and Morgan- Thank you for welcoming me into your home and trusting me with these priceless memories. You have a lovely little girseach. (You’ll have to find a Gaelic dictionary for that one, Ken.

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A note for expectant mothers: I’ve had a number of inquiries in regards to scheduling newborn sessions. The best time to photograph babies is between 7-14 days old. They are still sleepy and flexible, and will cooperate through pretty much anything. I recommend scheduling a tentative session before the baby arrives, approximately one week after your proposed due date. If things change, as they often do, I will still have availability to sneak you in somewhere after the baby arrives. For further questions, you may email me at: betsyphoto1@gmail.com

Thank you!

Could she be any cuter?!

More to come…

Here is a sampling of some of the images we got from last week, on a beautiful evening filled with lots of children! Everyone was so helpful and easy to work with– thanks for the smiles, ‘K’ Crew!

I had to refrain from posting some of my favorites, because I don’t want to give away any Christmas card images…

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The Grandaughters-

Grandsons-

My friend Jen, aka ‘Aunt Jen’

Sibling groups:

And the two who get credit for the family lineage:

A quick little look into a large, loved family, who could honestly be the template for ‘what to wear for portraits’:

Many more to come, Eric & Sharon & crew! Thank you so much for being such a great group. I loved working with every last one of you!

Some favorites from Julie & Jesse’s simple, happy wedding are to follow. It was a perfect day for portraits, and thoroughly enjoyable to work with you both, J & J! Special thanks also goes to my second shooter, Heidi, who did a fabulous job grabbing some great moments and stellar details!

All the best to you, Julie & Jesse, as you begin you married life. Thanks for trusting me with your memories.

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Heidi and I started out where Julie was getting ready, and pretty much jumped right into things taking her dress outside to get some dramatic detail shots. To set the scene: the grass is wet, kinda’ cold, and I was wanting to get some bokeh in from the red/purple leaves in the tree above the dress. Yup. We started the day off partially soaked. But, I like the results!

Getting ready:

We get inside, and find that we need to go back out on the deck, because that’s where Julie’s getting ready. Hello, thank you very much for getting makeup done outside– such pretty natural light!

Speaking of pretty-

Then we headed downstairs to her maid-of-honor’s in-house salon for hair:

Love this shot that Heidi grabbed:

We left Julie to meet up with Jesse, waiting for the first look of his soon-to-be bride:

Look at the grin on her face as she makes her way down the stairs to see her groom:

I love the first look session:

This might be my favorite of the day. I love the hand, the feminine curve of her neck, and the bokeh from her necklace in the background. No faces shown, but there’s so much information without them. It tells such a story.

Heidi got this shot of the bridesmaid shoes. LOVE it.

This is when it’s helpful to have a second shooter– so that when I want to do a ring shot in the garden, someone has her hand underneath the rings. Ya’ know, just in case.

I smile like a ninny when I look at this.

One thing that stood out to me throughout the day was how much of a gentleman Jesse is towards Julie. I had never met Jesse until the morning of the wedding. First impression? He takes care of his bride.

It was great to have plenty of time for relaxed portraits. Snipsic Lake is such a versatile spot. (Thanks, Florine!)

Laughter. Directed at me, but– hey, I’ll take it anyway.

The car, from Classic Motor Cars of Ellington, provided a great prop for formal photos:

I love this detail that Heidi got– the programs sticking out of Jesse’s grandpa’s herringbone suit. So spiffy!

Cool cake shot from Heidi Lynn:

This ring shot was tough to get, but it paid off:

I love the timeless feel of this last one:

Julie and Jesse, it was great working with you!

To family of the bride and groom: send me an email if you’d like to be notified when the online gallery is finished. I’ll send you the link when it’s complete!